Floating Clean Water Project Turnover

We arrived to the village shore on the Battambang side of the Tonle Sap about 2 hours after we had started.
Here Scott gave his talk. He explained how the Church gets Humanatarian money to fund these projects. He said a little spiel in Cambodian and they all clapped. I guess it was because as an American they didn't expect him to speak any Cambodian. They were pleased. The bottom picture shows how we were greeted with cute little Khmer dancers and drummers.

The floating purification station is below. Pictures above show it from different views and the top LH pic is of members who came with us. This is the Relief Society President and the Cleaning person and her little boy for the Church building. Both are stalwart and faithful members. The other pictures show the people waiting to get their water.

This is how the system works. They pump this very dirty water out of the Tonle Sap. It runs through these tanks and several purification filters. In one day they can filter and clean 700 litres of water. If people can pay they pay .12 cents for a 5 gallon container such as above. If they can't, then they just can have it. It should be self sustaining now with those who can pay. LDSC, RACHA, and USAid are the NGOS that helped build this. They have been working with the villagers for one year and they are doing it all now. So this ceremony was all about the villagers receiving this and maintaining it. They have some people that do it and they are paid from the funds of people paying to get their water. It looks like it should last and last as they take care of it. Now it is all up to them. They have been trained and know what to do and have done it. I hope they will keep it up. This will save many people from diseases.

President Loy and his wife also went with us. Elder Peterson who is the country director with LDSC here in Cambodia invited us all. His wife was home in a wheelchair after she broke a leg and a foot. She has to stay off for another week and can gradually put weight on her feet. We arranged through my very kind brother-in-law to get her a boot and a couple coming for the church to Asia for a month brought it over. The above pictures are before we went on the boat and after the boat ride. I had my hair all nice and straightened and by the time we got back it was very curly!